She was a cross between a fairy, a white witch and something extraordinary, and not of this world. She believed in the magic of the world, fairies, unicorns, mermaids, and she shared her belief in that magic with all of us girls. I was a young teenage girl When I met Nancy. I would spend the weekends with Jessica there.
A magical place with llamas in a meadow next to an orchard next to another meadow with a water fountain and wood carvings. And if you followed the trail through the orchard you ended up at her stables with the goats and horses.
When you walked into the house and up the stairs, you were immediately hit with the smell of sweetness, something familiar, but you couldn’t quite pinpoint what the smell was, it was a magical place filled with lots of love. She had her bed propped up high so you could look out either window out into the meadow, the gardens , the llama’s pasture and over the water tank. If you have never been to Nancy‘s when I say water tank, it’s a huge cement water tank with a deck built 2/3 around it with stairs leading down into the meadow and Ivy growing up the side and into the water. With koi fish gliding to the surface when you walk up to the edge , there is a constant flow of water trickling into the tank which is a very calming and soothing sound. It has a little platform with stairs attached going into the water. We would lay in the sunshine as girls in the summertime, and then dunk our warmed bodies into the brisk spring mountain water and laugh and giggle for hours. There was a dove house on the deck as well and you would hear them coo throughout the day and night.
Have I mentioned how magical it was to be at Nancy’s? I’ll never forget the first time I stayed with Jessica in the loft at Nancy’s
At about the crack of dawn I was awoken by the loudest scream I have ever heard, I jumped out of bed and was ready to run away when I see this beautiful peacock sitting in the window. What a horrible way to wake up in such a beautiful magical place. Of course Nancy thought it was funny, she also thought it was funny to try and slip goats milk into my cereal, coffee, tea….she would always sneak it in somewhere if she could 😆
Nancy was as warm and inviting as her home. In fact she was so inviting that she eventually built a cabin off in the woods for guests to stay. But more about that later.
When we are teenagers is when we become aware, hyper aware of our bodies and try to discern who we are. Nancy was so good at listening and helping us girls feel safe to talk about the changes in our bodies and ourselves, always listening and smiling and giving words of wisdom, but never judging us for our wild side. We were a bunch of wild girls with the determination to conquer any task set before us. She would absolutely glow with pride at all us girls, and there were many of us. You all know who you are.
I always felt at home when I was with her. Nancy was like a parent to me, when I was a teenager she opened her heart to me and that was the most precious gift she ever gave me. When I was struggling she would nurture me and offer me sound advice and just be there to listen and offer hugs of comfort along with a cup of tea ( of course with goats milk)
When I moved away back to southern California, I would always come back in the summertime and spend time with Jessica and anna out at Nancys.
When I was eighteen I met a beautiful man, Travis. I remember our first trip up here together, of course for reggae on the River. We spent the week after out at Nancy’s house with Jessica and Anna. He was blown away with how beautiful it was and also how warm and loving Nancy was. Over the years on our annual trek from southern California to Humboldt we would camp in Nancy’s meadow for a couple of weeks. We would always help with the clearing of the orchard, stacking wood, clearing weeds and the sad task of helping her bury her beloved llamas as the years went on.
But we were always so grateful to help her because we loved her so much.
In 1991 Travis and I were married in Thompson Creek meadow. We had wanted to share our special day with one of the most special people we knew, Nancy and Jessica. I’ll never forget us girls walking down from Nancy’s house and over to the meadow, barefoot, bells on our ankles and Jazper in my belly. What a beautiful day it was.
Now a quick jaunt back to the cabin…..in September 1996 Travis had applied for a Firefighter position with the Eureka Fire department. He received a call that he had an interview in mid October. We decided to turn it into a week-long trip and of course we asked if we could come stay with her and she said we could stay in the cabin. So we came and spent that time with Nancy. Nine months later Skyler was born….Nancy knew how much I wanted another child and was thrilled that she had a small part in helping to make that happen.
I’m not sure what year she started going to the Northern California Women’s Herbal Symposium, but I do remember the excitement in her face when she was telling me all about it. A bunch of women gathering, sharing knowledge of all kinds of herbs, talent shows, drumming circles, bon fires, story /talent night. Maiden ceremonies, crone ceremonies and the honoring of being a woman. She really wanted to have me come share this experience with her, Jessica, Raven and Mem, so she called me up one day and told me she bought me a ticket to the symposium. Again, magical……..I couldn’t believe how amazing it was and continued to attend for years. Watching her inclusion into the crone circle was an honor, such grace and beauty emitting from such an amazing woman…..I could share more but it’s a girl thing. If you know then you know. She opened my eyes to another magical thing and I in turn shared that magic with my children.
In 2002 Nancy called me up and said she knew of someone who was looking for a caretaker out in the gulch….Of course over the years we had talked about my hopes to one day come back to Humboldt. I was hired and worked not far from Nancy’s. It was so nice to go over and just spend time together and visit. At the end of the season, Travis and I had decided to build a small cabin on a piece of land we owned. It was a dream come true and she was an integral part of making that happen.
Travis and I built a home together with the help of many friends and loved ones, Nancy being at the top of the list. We were always asking her for advice and she was happy to divulge any information she thought we could use.
Nancy was an educator of many things, she was a power house of knowledge and could fix or mend just about everything or anyone. She was the one I would reach out to for help when the kids were sick, she always knew which herbal remedy would work the best for whatever was ailing them. She taught me everything about herbs and how to use them. Tinctures, salves, dried, fresh, plant identification and preservation.
I have a very specific memory from when I was a teenager. Nancy, Jessica, Raven, Stephanie and I had planned a day of blackberry picking so we could can them the next day. She also taught me about canning and using pomona’s low sugar pectin. Anyway, we pick berries all day…I think we had at least 2 five gallon buckets full of berries, I think there was actually more, the next day we were washing all the berries off and Nancy had given us very strict instructions to throw the cleaning water out the kitchen window, So at this time there were no blackberries growing on her property. She wanted blackberries so she didn’t have to drive so far to pick them. A few years later….the whole front was covered in blackberries, as well as the orchard and she loved it. We spent the whole day canning and make fresh blackberry cobbler.
In 2006 I was contemplating having another child, the boys were now pretty independent, but I had always wanted more children. I would talk to Nancy about my desire to have a girl, a daughter. She told me to ask the universe, the goddess, the divine feminine and be open. So on a full moon I’m standing on my deck and telling the universe, the goddess, the divine feminine that I am open and I am asking for my daughter…but she had better hurry because I gave myself a deadline on becoming pregnant and then I wouldn’t try anymore.
Two months later I was with child and I knew beyond a shadow of doubt my daughter was on her way. We were so excited to share the news with Nancy…..She was so happy for us , but more importantly she was so happy for me because she knew that a mother daughter bond is one of the most sacred bonds. Just like the sacred bond that she shares with her two beautiful and amazing daughters Anna and Jessica.
In a world where we can be anything
Be KIND.
Remember the kindness she shared with each and everyone of you, remember the love she gave to each and everyone of you, but most importantly remember how much you love her each and every day.
I was fortunate and truly blessed enough to call her my family
I’m so grateful that I got to spend the last few years celebrating her on mothers day along with Jessica, Nicole, Michael, Raven, Mem and her close friends.
Thank you Jessica for everything. You have been such an amazing pillar of strength and undying love for Nancy these past few years. You are such an amazing testament to how absolutely wonderful your beautiful, amazing, spectacular mother is.
I want to thank you all for being a part of Nancy’s life
I want to thank Jessica for sharing her mommy with all of us who needed her
But most importantly I want to thank one of the most amazing women I have ever met or will ever meet for always being there for me in the hardest of times and in the most glorious and wonderful of times…..Nancy.
She was such an inspiration to all who knew her.
Nancy and I both love loved Robert Frost, I would like to read you all a poem from one of his books:
Nothing Gold Can Stay
R. Frost
Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf,
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day
Nothing gold can stay
Tributes to Nancy 